How to Remove Acrylic Paint from Wood

A homeowner will want to know How to Remove Acrylic Paint from Wood or furniture in an easier way, and that’s why we have spent our time preparing this guide to help you know how to get rid of acrylic paint from your wood.

One of the major dilemmas homeowners face after noticing a stain of acrylic paint on their wood fixtures is if they can remove it. How do they go about it?

The answer is yes, it is possible. Find out the answer in this article.

How to Remove Acrylic Paint from Wood – Best methods

Acrylic paint stains are very common on wood. Whether it is an accidental spill or not, having the stain on your wood doesn’t render the piece of wood useless.

However, you will want to get rid of the stain to restore the wood’s original look.

Fortunately, several ways will help you get rid of the stain. The methods are common on any piece of wood, whether a  table, a door, or just any piece of furniture.

Acrylic paint is a type of paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion and plasticizers, silicon oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. Most acrylic paints are water-based but become moisture-resistant when dry.

Removing paint from wood is shockingly simple, and the tools needed are common in most households.

The article will guide you in following these methods:

Method 1: Using soap and rag.

This is the easiest method that will not consume most of your time or effort. It is also very effective.

Tools needed:

• Soap
• A rag/ cloth
• Gloves

All the materials needed can be sourced from within your homestead. You will do this without making any effort, using any money, or, even going out of the house.

After gathering the materials, go on and follow the following steps now:

 Wipe the acrylic off.

• Dampen the rag or cloth.
• Apply medium pressure as you wipe; run it back and forth.
• Rotate the rag around to avoid saturation.

However, note that wiping acrylic paint stains may not be effective on old paint stains. The whole aim is to remove the extra acrylic paint that is still fresh.

Clean the surface.

After gently rubbing the wet cloth over the wood, you will now proceed to clean it deeply.

• Pour hot water into a rag.
• Use any glycerine soap, so long as it produces enough lather.

Use this solution to clean the surface. It will help you clean the wood deeply without leaving behind not even the slightest sign of acrylic paint.

Rub gently.

Use a rough rag and apply medium pressure as you rub. Also, be as careful as possible not to damage the wood surface.

• Gently rub the rag on the remaining paint.
• Keep rubbing the rag back and forth on the surface.
• Add extra soap if necessary until you get rid of the stain completely.
• Depending on the intensity of the paint, you may require several rags.

See how to remove wood glue on wood

Continue wiping.

To remove the entire acrylic from the wood, you will need to wipe the surface for a while. It might take a few minutes or a few hours.

• Wet your rag to get any soap remains off the wood surface.
• Continue wiping until you have neutralized the soap.

Allow the wood to dry.

After all that cleaning to remove all the acrylic paint, the wood will be entirely wet. Allow it to dry.

• Using a dry rag or cloth, wipe the damp area. Rub the rag against the wet surface until there is no moisture left.
• The wood might still be wet, hence allow it to dry for up to 48 hours. The process will take more or lesser time, depending on the size of the wood.

Once the wood has dried extremely, you will have successfully gotten rid of acrylic paint using soap and rag.

Method 2: Use Olive oil.

This is the second method to opt for if the first one doesn’t work best for you. The use of olive oil is an alternative and also is great because it is a natural product.

Material needed:

• Paint scraper
• Rag
• Olive oil
• Putty knife (optional)
• In this method, the material you need is easily found at home; therefore, you will have no difficulties gathering them.
• Soften the paint.

The use of Olive oil softens the paint making it easy to remove.

• Pour some olive oil on the rag.
• Rub the rag around the wood.
• Spread the oil in all the places where you find acrylic paint.
• Allow it to settle.

Allow the olive oil to sit on the acrylic for a minimum of 15 minutes.

This should soak the paint and remove it off the wood.

• Don’t touch the surface until the oil settles.
• When you allow it to settle for 30 minutes or more, the better.

You will notice how the acrylic paint will begin softening up.

• Scrape the paint.

When the paint has completely softened, you can scrape it off.

Here you will use a paint scraper or a putty knife, depending on what you prefer.

• Begin by softly pushing the knife and scraping the surface off the paint.
• Remove all the acrylic paint as you can. Be careful not to damage the wood.

After 30 minutes to 1 hour, you should have removed the paint using olive oil as a softener.

Method 3: Using a heat gun.

This method can only be efficient if you remove the paint from large wood surfaces such as an entire door or even furniture.

Materials needed:

• Heat gun
• Putty knife
• A rag or piece of cloth
• Sandpaper (optional)

1. Check if the painted area is large enough.

A heat gun will be worthwhile if you are getting rid of paint from an entire door or furniture.  If you need to clean a few spots, other ways like soap or olive oil will be practical.

Heat guns are fairly cheap and can be bought at craft stores and hardware stores.

 2. Be careful.

Read the instructions given on how to use the heat gun carefully. If you use a too high setting, you can char the wood or even start a fire.

The melting point can also produce dangerous vapors; ensure you wear the correct protective gear such as goggles and a mask or a respirator.

 1. Heat the paint.

Point the gun at the paint and turn it on.

• Hold it 3-4 inches or 7-10 centimeters away from the stain for around 10-30 seconds at a time.
• Try moving the heat gun in small circular motions to heat a larger area at a go.

     2. Scrape it off.

• On the one hand, as you hold the heat gun, use the other hand to try and get under the stain with the edge of the knife.
• The paint should start to soften and peel off.
• Clean off the putty knife as required and keep scraping until all the paint is gone.
• Turn off the heat gun as you clean the knife.

Wipe the surface.

Please wait until the surface is cool and wipe it using a wet cloth to remove any residue left.

To make the cleaning as effective as possible, add some soap.

Method 5: Use alcohol.

Alcohol is another excellent product you can use to get rid of Acrylic paint from wood; follows is the explanation of how it works;

Material needed:

• Alcohol
• Putty knife
• Old rag
• Clean rag

Pour alcohol on a rag.

Pour some of the alcohol on the rag and begin wiping the wood surface.

• Take any basic rubbing alcohol. If necessary, get it from a drug store.
• Get a rag and cover the bottle.
• Shake it as hard as possible until you see the rag is slightly wet.

This will give you the go-ahead to begin scraping it off.

Scrape off the paint.

In this step, you are required to remove the acrylic using a putty knife.

• Attempt to break off the top layer as much as you can. Be watchful when doing so as you may harm the wood and leave some marks.

The more layers you remove, the simpler it will be for alcohol to penetrate through.

Rub the paint off.

This is the most important step, therefore do it carefully and effectively.

• Begin by rubbing the rag back and forth on the surface until the paint separates from the wood.
• Continue adding more alcohol on the rag as needed. However, don’t dampen the entire piece but ensure that it is sufficiently wet.
• You must be careful when handling alcohol as it could damage the wood. Don’t be too hard when rubbing the paint off.

Moreover, keep in mind that this step is necessary for softening the paint to remove the excess water.

Wipe the alcohol.

In this step, you are going to remove any extra sign of acrylic paint left.

• Take the clean rag and pour some water on it.
• Move the rag back and forth on the wet surface until there is no water.
• This might consume up to 24 hours until the wood completely dries.
• Wipe the surface also to get rid of any alcohol residue.

Method 6: Removing using a solvent.

In this method, you have to consider the following:

Select the right solvent.

The most popular paint remover is methylene chloride. It is completely strong and should be handled with a lot of care.

Moreover, some solvents are citrus-based and more environmentally friendly but are still harmful, and you should take the proper safety measures.

Solvents are bought at any local hardware or paint store.

Wear safety gear.

Put on eye protection such as goggles or safety glasses. Also, wear a ventilation mask to guard yourself against dangerous vapors. It is also recommended you wear gloves and long sleeves because the material could splash.

Create proper ventilation.

If possible, when using a solvent, work outside. However, if you can’t move the wood or furniture, open all windows and doors.

Also, you can position a fan behind you to get rid of the fumes through the window or door.

Roll or brush on the solvent.

• Get a paintbrush or paint roller and apply a thin layer of the solvent to the paint.
• Let it settle for about 20 minutes, or as per the recommended time on the guide.
• The paint will produce bubbles as the solvent is working.

Scrape off bubbled paint.

• With a blunt plastic scraper, scratch off the paint that has started bubbling and peeling.
• Do not use sharp metal tools that will chip the wood.
• Collect the peeling paint in a disposable container or bag.

Clean the area with mineral spirits.

Some manufacturers say that water alone cleans the area, but mineral spirits will leave the wood neutralized.

Therefore, wipe the wood surface with a rag soaked in mineral spirits.

Wait so that you can refinish the wood later.

Allow the wood to dry completely for at least a week, and air out before you try applying any stains or waxes.

6. Rub the paint off using sandpaper or steel wool.

• Get a steel wool or fine sandpaper (150-180 grit).
• If there is a lot of paint to remove, start with a coarser one like 80-120 grit or, in very extreme scenarios, use 40-60 grit.
• Sand the surface gently to remove only the paint.

If the wooden surface is large, you can use power sanders, but ensure you put on a protective mask and safety glasses and follow the instructions carefully.

Clean the wood using a wet cloth.

• Rub a damp rag over the wood to wipe off sawdust and debris.
• Swap the rag with a clean one if it gets too dirty while you are cleaning.
• Refinish wood.
• Once it is dry, refinish the wood using the same strain or finish you had used before.
• If there was none left or if you don’t remember what you used exactly, try to make it look with samples from the local hardware store.

Dont know how to paint wood? check out this resource

How to Remove Acrylic Paint from Wood – conclusion

In summation, all these methods effectively remove acrylic paint from wood when the instructions are read and followed carefully.

Select the best method depending on the state of the paint and how readily available the materials required are.